A Fellmonger is someone who removes hair from animal hides in preparation for tanning. The name is derived from the Old English ‘fell’ meaning skins and ‘monger’ meaning dealer. Fellmongery is one of the oldest professions in the world and since ancient times, man has used the skins of animals to clothe himself, and for making domestic articles. Today however, Fellmongery has been superseded by machines that now perform the work formerly done by man.

The process of fellmongering had to be done quickly after the animal was slaughtered to prevent the hides from decaying before tanning could begin. The hides were first washed and cleansed of all blood. They were then soaked to allow the skin tissues to distend. Next, a paste made from lime and sodium sulfate was applied. This fed the pelts and unblocked the pores so that the fellmonger could then separate the wool from the skins. The wool was then cooled and dried. The fellmongering stage of the leather making process was then complete.

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Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Fellmonger". Image Credit.

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